Obliquity book john kay inventor

I came across this book by accident in a book fair. This book effectively throws a monkey wrench into the gears of 99% of business selfimprovement management philosophies out there. His latest book, obliquity, was published by profile books in march. John kay has 54 books on goodreads with 11836 ratings. To see what he is getting at lets take a look at some examples of important goals best achieved indirectly. He is a director of several public companies and contributes a weekly column to the financial times. If people are predictably irrational, perhaps they are not irrational at all.

This is an original, widelyapplicable concept from one of the worlds foremost economists. John kay is a leading economist and visiting professor of economics at the london school of economics, a fellow of st john s college, oxford. Perhaps the fault lies not with the world but with our concept of irrationality. He was the first dean of oxfords said business school and has held chairs at london business school, the university of oxford, and the london school of economics. John kay is an admirable debunker of myths and false beliefs he can see substantial things others dont. About obliquity john kay tells a fastpaced detective story as he searches for the surprising secret to successbrilliant. I used to tell my colleagues that if they wanted to make money, there were many easier ways to do it than drug research. The best way to achieve any complex or broadly defined goalfrom happiness to. It doesnt purport to suggest that goals are always best achieved without intending them. What are the key takeaways from obliquity book by john. Using dozens of practical examples from the worlds of business, politics, science, sports, literature, even parenting, esteemed economist john kay proves a notion that feels at once paradoxical and deeply commonsensical. This explains why the most profitable companies are not the most aggressive in chasing profits, the wealthiest men and women are not the most materialistic.

Here he combines common sense and rigorous economic thinking in a number of essays on business and economic issuesthe competitiveness of uk plc, the stakeholder economy, business strategy, and corporate personality. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. As john kay pointed out, we can only learn about our objectives and how to achieve them through a gradual process of risk taking and discovery what he calls obliquity. Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows us that oblique approaches are the. There is a role for carrots and sticks, but to rely on carrots and sticks alone is effective only when we employ donkeys and when goals are simple. Kay credits nobel prize winner, sir james black, with the principle of obliquity, which asserts that goals are often best achieved without intending them.

John kay tells a fastpaced detective story as he searches for the surprising secret to success. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly kindle edition by john kay. It packed with many true stories from historical events, politics, businesses and the authors personal experiences. There is a role for carrots and sticks, but to rely on carrots and sticks alone is effective. Im fairly certain that i saw and picked up obliquity on a trip through heathrow.

Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Nassim n taleb the black swan economics with style as well as substance stephen bayley, architecture and design correspondent observer obliquity is a characteristic john kay production. We are not totally rational in our decisionmaking hence rational approaches do not. The best nine quid youll spend this year jeremy hazlehurst city am a smart, witty book william leith evening standard john kay is an admirable debunker of myths and false. So boeings civil orderbook today lags that of airbus, the european. No one will be buried with the epitaph he maximised shareholder value. Obliquity is relevant whenever complex systems evolve in an uncertain environment, and whenever the effect of our actions depends on the ways in which others respond to them.

If you truly study the material, observe it and put it to use in your own life, you will be amazed by the results. Leading economist john kay applies his provocative universal theory to a variety of complex systems, including business and communities. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly by john kay online at alibris. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly is a book by economist john kay. This book by the distinguished economist and writer john kay is an extended essay about an idea which is intuitively true. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading obliquity. All of john s books are available to purchase via this webpage. In obliquity, john kay argues against my naive fiveyear plan. As the director, he established the institute for fiscal studies as one of britains most respected think tanks. Trying to approach nebulous targets like profit or happiness directly is a fools path. If you could recommend only one book for me to read.

The ideas and insights in this book is deep and meaningful. A leading economist charts the indirect road to happiness and wealth. John kay if you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. I used to tell my colleagues that if they wanted to make money, there were many easier ways to do it. John kay is a director of several public and private companies. He is the author of many articles and has contributed regularly to the financial times for over 20 years. In this revolutionary book, economist john kay proves a notion that feels at once paradoxical and deeply commonsensical. John anderson kay, cbe, frse, fba, facss born 1948 is a british economist. Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows us that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in.

John kay, english machinist and engineer, inventor of the flying shuttle, which was an important step toward automatic weaving. His books include foundations of corporate success 1993, the truth about markets 2003 and obliquity 2011. This is an elegant, simple book and, rarely for a business book, is written by a man who actually understands the academics and philosophers he quotes. If you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. Obliquity is the idea that goals are often best achieved when pursued. See all 3 formats and editions hide other formats and. It is a pleasure to read howard davies financial times how rare is it for an academic economist to write with such clarity, intelligence and courage. The great muckraker upton sinclair had expressed a deep insight into the relationship between the world of ideas and the world of practical men. John kay s most popular book is other peoples money. Its not an easy read for me because english is not my native language. John kay argues that economists faith in inflexible, universally applicable. The dickinson quotation suggests as does the subtitle of john kay s book that there are situations in which goals are best achieved indirectly. A summary of obliquity by john kay summarised by paul.

It was inspired by an observation of the successful pharmaceutical. John kay is a leading economist and visiting professor of economics at. It was inspired by an observation of the successful pharmaceutical researcher, sir james black. John kay is a visiting professor at the london school of economics and a fellow of st. Using a diverse range of examples, from the messenger spacecraft to french architecture, this essay explains why complex goals are best achieved when they are pursued indirectly. Economics with style as well as substance stephen bayley, architecture and design correspondent, observer. This seemingly counterintuitive idea is the subject of john kays very interesting book obliquity. John kay is a visiting professor at the london school of economics, and a fellow of st john s college, oxford. It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it. In obliquity, john kay an economist of some stature explains why the right path is often less obvious and frequently unpredictable in the literal sense of not being able to. Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in difficult.